cheese; confumes itself to the very paring, and fo dies with feeding it's own ftomack. Befides, virginity is peevish, proud, idle, made of felf-love, which is the moft inhibited fin in the canon: Keep it not; you cannot choose but lose by't: Out with't: within ten years it will make itfelf ten, which is a goodly increafe; and the principal itself not much the worse : Away with't.

HEL. How might one do, fir, to lose it to her own liking?

PAR. Let me fee: Marry, ill, to like him that ne'er it likes. "Tis a commodity will lose the glofs with lying; the longer kept, the lefs worth: off with't, while 'tis vendible: anfwer the time of requeft. Virginity, like an old courtier, wears her cap out of fashion richly futed, but unfuteable: juft like the brooch, and the tooth-pick, which wear not now. Your date is better in your pye, and your porridge, than in your cheek: And your virginity, your old virginity, is like one of our French wither'd pears; it looks ill, it eats drily; marry, 'tis a wither'd pear: it was formerly better; marry, yet 'tis a wither'd pear: Will you any thing with it?

HEL. Not my virginity yet. You're for the court :
There shall your master have a thousand loves,
A mother, and a mistress, and a friend,

A phoenix, captain, and an enemy,
A guide, a goddefs, and a fovereign,
A counsellor, a traitrefs, and a dear;
His humble ambition, proud humility,
His jarring concord, and his difcord dulcet,
His faith, his fweet disafter; with a world

Of pretty, fond, adoptious christendoms,
That blinking Cupid goffips. Now shall he-
I know not what he fhall: God fend him well!
The court's a learning place; and he is one-
PAR. What one, i'faith?

HEL. That I wish well. 'Tis pity.

PAR. What's pity?

HEL. That wishing well had not a body in't,
Which might be felt: that we, the poorer born,
Whose bafer ftars do fhut us up in wishes,

Might with effects of them follow our friends,
And fhew what we alone must think; which never
Returns us thanks.

Enter a Page.

Pag. Monfieur Parolles, my lord calls for you. PAR. Little Helen, farewel: if I can remember thee, I will think of thee at court.

HEL. Monfieur Parolles, you were born under a charitable star.

PAR. Under Mars I.

HEL. I especially think, under Mars.

PAR. Why under Mars?

HEL. The wars have fo kept you under, that you must needs be born under Mars.

PAR. When he was predominant.

HEL. When he was retrograde, I think, rather.

PAR. Why think you fo?

HEL. You go fo much backward, when you fight. PAR. That's for advantage.

HEL. So is running away, when fear proposes the fafety: But the composition, that your valour and fear makes in you, is a virtue of a good wing, and I like

23 hath fo

the wear well.

PAR. I am fo full of busineffes, I cannot answer thee acutely I will return perfect courtier; in the which, my inftruction fhall ferve to naturalize thee, fo thou wilt be capable of a courtier's counsel, and understand what advice shall thrust upon thee; elfe thou dyeft in thine unthankfulness, and thine ignorance makes thee away; farewel: When thou haft leisure, fay thy prayers; when thou haft none, remember thy friends: get thee a good husband, and use him as he uses thee: fo farewel. [Exeunt PAROLLES, and Page.

HEL. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lye,
Which we ascribe to heaven: the fated sky
Gives us free scope; only, doth backward pull
Our flow defigns, when we ourselves are dull.
What power is it, which mounts my love fo high;
Which makes me fee, and cannot feed mine eye ?
The mightiest fpace in fortune nature brings
To join like likes, and kiss like native things.
Impoffible be strange attempts, to those
That weigh their pains in fense; and do fuppose,
What hath been cannot be: Who ever ftrove
To fhew her merit, that did mifs her love?
The king's disease-my project may
deceive me,

But my intents are fixt, and will not leave me. [Exit.

SCENE II. Paris. A Room in the King's Palace.
Enter the King of France, with Letters;
Lords, and divers other, attending.

Kin. The Florentines and Senoys are by the ears;
Have fought with equal fortune, and continue
A braving war.

1. L. So 'tis reported, fir.

Kin. Nay, 'tis moft credible; we here † receive it A certainty, vouch'd from our cousin Auftria, With caution, that the Florentine will move us For fpeedy aid; wherein our dearest friend Prejudicates the business, and would feem To have us make denial.

1. L. His love, and wisdom, Approv'd fo to your majefty, may plead For ampleft credence.

Kin. He hath arm'd our anfwer,

And Florence is deny'd before he comes:
Yet, for our gentlemen, that mean to fee
The Tuscan fervice, freely have they leave
To ftand on either part.

2. L. It well may serve

A nursery to our gentry, who are fick

For breathing, and exploit.

Kin. What's he comes here?

Enter BERTRAM, with Lafeu, Parolles,
and Others.

1. L. It is the count Rofillion, my good lord, Young Bertram.

Kin. Youth, thou bear'st thy father's face; Frank nature, rather curious than in haste, Hath well compos'd thee; Thy father's moral parts May'st thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris.

BER. My thanks, and duty, are your majesty's. Kin. I would I had that corporal foundness now, As when thy father, and myself, in friendship, First try'd our foldiership! He did look far Into the service of the time, and was

Difcipl'd of the bravest: he lafted long;
But on us both did haggish age steal on,
And wore us out of act. It much repairs me,
To talk of your good father: In his youth
He had the wit, which I can well observe
To-day in our young lords; but they may jeft,
'Till their own scorn return to them unnoted,
Ere they can hide their levity in honour,
So like a courtier: no contempt nor bitterness
Were in him, pride or fharpnefs; if they were,
His equal had awak'd them; and his honour,
Clock to itself, knew the true minute when
Exception bid him fpeak, and, at this time,
His tongue obey'd it's hand: who were below him,
He us'd as creatures of another place;

And bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks,
Making them proud of his humility,

In their poor praise he humbl'd: Such a man

Might be a copy to these younger times;

Which, follow'd well, would démonstrate them now

But goers backward.

BER. His good remembrance, fir,

Lies richer in your thoughts, than on his tomb;
So his approof lives not in epitaph,

As in your royal fpeech.

Kin. 'Would I were with him! He would always fay,

(Methinks, I hear him now; his plaufive words

He scatter'd not in ears, but grafted them,

Το

grow there, and to bear) Let me not live,' Thus his good melancholy oft began,

On the catastrophe and heel of pastime,
When it was out, let me not live, quoth he,